NIFC "use and reuse" program helps fight fires while keeping costs down for the taxpayers

BOISE — The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise is the tip of the spear when it comes to prioritizing the logistics of the nation's firefighting ability. It has 34 million dollars worth of equipment stored in what's known as the Great Basin Cache, located on NIFC grounds. That equipment is sent to firefighters in the field on a daily basis during fire season. But the organization also manages the logistics of returning equipment, restoring equipment and restocking it for future use. In fact, more than 90 percent of all equipment it uses is brought back and 84 percent of it is refurbished and reused saving taxpayers an estimated 26 million dollars a year.